HCPro.com: Briefings on Infection Control

From the AIA's new Infection Control Risk Assessment to the JCAHO's emphasis on infection control, your facility's infection control initiatives have never been under more scrutiny. Briefings on Infection Control is a 12-page monthly resource that was created specifically to help you save time complying with the new infection control regulations and combating the spread of infectious diseases in your hospital. Not only will you know about the latest changes and updates, but you'll also receive the step-by-step strategies and tools to comply!

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June 2008 (Volume 6, Issue 6)	view entire issue

Prepare your facility to identify and tackle preventable infections
A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) regulation that will reduce payment for serious preventable events at hospitals is coming this fall, and if you aren't already preparing for the change, you should be. Effective October 1, the regulation will eliminate higher payments for the additional treatment costs for three types of hospital-acquired infections and five medical errors. Your facility's structure will determine who is directly responsible for monitoring and eliminating CMS' eight targeted conditions

The NICU: Small patients pose big infection risks
Neonatal ICU (NICU) patients are at the top of the list of patients at high risk of developing infections. "Neonates are incredibly vulnerable [to infection]," says Alicia Budd, an ICP at The Children's Center of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Most of the children in the NICU are very premature, very low-birth-weight babies with immature immune systems. And as part of their treatment, these patients often need invasive devices that put them at further risk for infection. The following are some important issues you should focus on in the NICU to help reduce the risk of infection

Claim victory over ventilator-associated pneumonia
In 2002, the ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rate at Owensboro (KY) Medical Health System was "way too high," reaching 22 incidents per 1,000 ventilator days, says Sherry O'Bryan, RN, MSN, ICU manager at the facility. By comparison, a national benchmark at the time was 8.7 incidents per 1,000 ventilator days. Facility officials knew they needed to take action and decided on a goal: to cut the number of VAP infections in half in 18 months using the VAP bundle promoted by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, MA.

Strategies to prevent the spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in your facility
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) spends far less time in the spotlight than MDROs, particularly MRSA. Although this organism may be less pathogenic than some of its more famous counterparts, it still poses a serious concern for healthcare facilities. Not only does VRE cause complications for already sick patients, resulting in longer stays and higher costs, but there is another concern-chiefly that it will meet with MRSA in a co-colonized patient and mutate, spreading vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), says Connie Steed, RN, BSN, CIC, manager of IC at the Greenville (SC) Hospital System.

Other recently-published articles from Briefings on Infection Control:

C. diff more prevalent than previously believed

Aggressive action (and aggressive nurses) fight Acinetobacter at Louisiana hospital

IC.01.03.01, assessing risk is a starting point

Take a strong stand against the flu with declination forms

Compendium of strategies full of HAI prevention tips

CMS interpretive guidelines one year later: Is your facility in compliance with all the changes?

Hospital leaders dropping the ball when it comes to IC

Study: Flu vaccine in elderly may be even less effective than originally thought, but don’t stop encouraging shots

IC.01.02.01, needed resources for your IC program

Dress for IC success

The new CMS payment policy might be more bark than bite with regard to SSIs

Contending with floods, hurricanes, and water damage

Joint Commission wants the right person in charge

New regulations affect dialysis facilities

Seven tips to fight the flu with vaccinations

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